Jason Gillespie 'sits on the fence' as Pakistan go all-in on the short term
Head coach concentrates on team dynamic as rare series win becomes the priority
Danyal Rasool23-Oct-2024Not often in Pakistan cricket does someone pass up the chance to take credit for any successful outcome, regardless of how significant their part was. But Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie kept such praise at arm’s length when talking about Pakistan’s bounce-back win over England in the second Test.Gillespie made clear that effectively all the decisions taken in the wake of Pakistan’s chastening innings defeat in the first Test had little to do with him. Moments after the result was official, the PCB announced a new selection committee, one that included former umpire Aleem Dar, as well as Aaqib Javed. It excluded Gillespie and captain Shan Masood from having any say in selection matters – Masood, too, last week said he preferred to pass on the credit “to everyone else” for their part in the win.”The PCB came out and made some changes after that Test match,” Gillespie said ahead of the third Test. “It was decided that a new selection panel would come in and they would be making decisions. I was not involved in the decision-making, I was just there. I’m now just the coach on match-day strategy. I just keep out of things now and just focus on the players and getting them ready for cricket.”It is a remarkably different brief from the one Gillespie was given when he was offered the role earlier this year. At the time, he told ESPNcricinfo he had some “really positive conversations” with the board and the chairman to make sure “we’re moving in the right direction short term, in the medium and long term”.Industrial fans have been used to dry the Pindi pitch•AFP/Getty ImagesPakistan’s late decision to pack the bowling attack with spinners and prepare a surface to assist them does appear to run in contrast to Gillespie’s goals and ambitions when he took over the Test side. In that interview with ESPNcricinfo, he had specifically cautioned against short-termism. “It’s very easy when you’re coming into jobs; you’ve got a two-year contract or a one-year contract,” he had said. “You make short-term decisions to look after your own back. But that doesn’t help anyone, because if everyone has that approach, nothing long-term gets done.”When asked about the composition of the team, Gillespie repeated the point. “It’s not for me to talk about now. I’m no longer a selector, so I’m probably not the person to ask.” Corralled into a role that is much narrower in focus than his initial job description suggested, he did indicate he understood how unusual his situation was. “I’m getting splinters in my a*** from sitting on the fence here,” he quipped.But with a potential series win against England on the line, the importance of the final Test was not lost on Gillespie. In his short time as coach, he has built up positive relationships with several players in the side, paying as much tribute to their qualities as human beings as to their cricketing talent.Related
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“The last few years, Pakistan’s Test cricket hasn’t been where we’d like it to be. Any win is great, and any series win’s fantastic. Just coming into this environment, as a coach, I’m very protective of players. They’re the ones going out and representing their country. I suppose there’s a dad in me that comes out and I want to protect all the boys from all outside noise and whatever.”It is this ability to stay calm that Gillespie wanted to channel more meticulously in his players. At several key points during the second Test, with England appearing to swarm, Pakistan found a way to hunker down when the pressure was on. In the first ten overs, Pakistan fell to 19 for 2 as Babar Azam’s replacement Kamran Ghulam walked out for his Test debut. It could have gone awry very quickly, but Ghulam scored a hundred, and Pakistan put on 366.When England responded, they made light work of the spinners in the first 40 overs, and stood poised for a significant first-innings lead when they were placed at 211 for 2. But in the drying embers of Day 2, Sajid Khan slowed up the pace, found the rough, and triggered a collapse that helped Pakistan take a decisive 75-run lead.”There’s a lot of things in professional sport that you can’t control,” Gillespie said. “To be able to just park that and not focus on that is a skill within itself. Focusing on what we can control, the right things at the right times, and staying calm when things are all happening. The way England played, they looked to create things all the time and the way we want to go against them is to by staying calm and not getting flustered. I thought we did that really well in the last Test match. I was really proud of the boys.”You communicate with your players regularly, talking about their games and how we can help them improve as cricketers and people. I’m very fortunate, I’ve got a wonderful support staff who have developed some really good relationships with our players and players will gravitate towards certain coaches over others at times. But if you all work as a team, that’s the most important thing.”